dr. damodar dharmananda kosambi- life and work

8/14/2019 Dr. Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi- Life and Work

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(pp1) Kosambi was born on 31st July 1907 in Goa while it was under Portuguese rule. His mother Balabai comfrom the Lad family of Goa. Dharmananda Damodar Kosambi, his father was from Sankhaval. Theirs waSaraswat Brahmin family. But Dharmananda Kosambis achievement till the birth of Damodar and its continuatlater has no relevance to his Saraswat Brahmin origin. Dharmanands utter disregard towards Caste hierarchy religious rituals and traditions was inherited by Damodar right from his birth.

The circumstance in which Damodar was born was to an extent some what similar to that of Sant Dyaneshwar ahis siblings. Damodars childhood and schooling was totally different from the normal one thanks to his fatDharmananda. Both the good and the bad effects of this were seen in Damodars later life too. It is therefnecessary to take stock of the life led by Damodars father Dharmananda.

Acharya Dharmanandaji, as he was respectfully addressed, was known to be a close associate of Mahatma Ganand had an honourable place in the freedom movement. Like many great men of that era he too was captivatedthe freedom struggle and he outshined many of the great men of those days involved in that movement.

Dharmananda was born in 1876. He had a weak constitution but was extremely intelligent. Poverty abackwardness of the village hampered his high aspirations. He had to give up his education after the fifth standand help his old father in order to make the two ends meet. He was married when he was just 15 years old. Arouthis time he found a new interest in reading books and started reading whatever he could lay his hands on amulling it over. This made him all the more miserable about his own circumstances. Tending and guarding coconut trees was the only occupation which made him feel that his life was worthless. By chance he happenedget the biography of Sant Tukaram and his Gatha (collection of his verses.) (Pp2) Along with this he also Buddhas biography written for children. These books made a deep impression on the young mind Dharmananda and he turned to spirituality and became somewhat detached from the mundane affairs of this worHow ever even as he was leaning towards spirituality, he was provided by a relative of his with some progressliterature, including Agarkars reformist thoughts on religion. This prevented the uneasy Dharmananda frsurrendering to God and immersing himself in His service. And on the contrary, his thirst for knowledge whwas dormant so far suddenly surged forth. He now became eager to learn Sanskrit and Buddhas teachings in deand wanted to go away from Goa which he attempted thrice. The first time he reached up to Kolhapur; andreached Gokarna and Mangalore in the second and the third attempts respectively. Not being able to make up mind he had to return home every time after a few days.

His father died in 1898. Dharmananda was now all the more eager to leave the house. Meanwhile his first child

daughter was born in 1889. Within a moth of the birth of his daughter he left the house again. For seven yearslived away from his family partly because of the thirst for knowledge and partly out of fear of getting involvedthe drudgery of mundane existence.

A jug for storing water, a rug to spread on the ground and a few coins was all that he had with him when he left house. He reached Pune and approached Dr. R. G. Bhandarkar, the world renowned scholar and reformist foundmember ofPrarthana Samaj (a reformist but not an atheist society holding regular prayer meetings) and requeshim to help him to study the Sanskrit language. He was accommodated for a few days. How ever Bhandarwanted Dharmananda to work forPrarthana Samaj and propagate its principles. But Dharmananda made it clto him that he intended to study the Buddhist religion first and then decide as to what he should do. Bhandarargued that the Buddhist religion is of no use to our country and in order to study that religion one has to go

Nepal or Sri Lanka. Dharmananda immediately left Pune and went to Kashi via Gwalior. There he lived on char


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under considerable stress and strain and had to bear insults and disgrace at times. Facing such adversity he studSanskrit for a year and a half in the Sanskrit Pathashala. The itinerant then left Kashi and wandering on to NepSri Lanka, Brahmadesh, he studied the Pali language. Pali being the language of the common man, Buddha usefor propagating his thoughts. Later on being patronized by monarchy the Bauddha Bhikshus discoursed in Sansktoo. Bauddha religious literature thus became available in both Pali and Sanskrit. Yet some original religiworks were available in Pali only. The Bauddha religion was virtually obliterated in India along with its literatin Pali. But it survived in Sri Lanka and Burma and its original literature in Pali was available in the BauddHermitages. The Bhikkus there knew Pali well. Dharmananda learnt this ancient Indian language and studied Bauddha literature in depth. Assimilating both the language and the religion, Dharmananda returned to Calcutta

January 1904.

While studying the religious literature Dharmananda formally became a Bhikshu (a Buddhist monk) and adeveloped faith in Buddhism. (pp3) From Calcutta he again started wandering; from Calcutta to KushinaraBuddhagaya, to Rajagriha, to Shravasti, to Kapilavastu, to Lumbijeevan- all places of Buddhist pilgrimage. returned back to Calcutta in January 1906.

He had changed considerably since he left Goa as he had acquired an all round education during his wanderinNot only did he study Sanskrit and Pali languages but he also had an inkling of English while he was in Sri LanHe developed a deep understanding of intricate and involved religious literature and gained vast experiencevarious ways of peoples in different countries. He had to give up the comfortable and easy going Goanese life stand bear all the hardships of a Bhikshu. He decided to utilize his vast knowledge and experience to revive Buddhist religion and the Pali language in India once again. However he soon realized how difficult it would beabide by all the restrictions a traditional Bauddha Bhikshu is expected to observe-such as not having any moneyoneself or possess any other objects, begging for food only at particular time of the day and so on. Since it was possible to go by these harsh restrictions in the modern world of the fast moving locomotives and automobiDharmananda decided to formally give up his monk hood and free himself to achieve his goal of propagatBuddhism and Pali language.

He wanted to carry out his work in the vicinity of the Pune city. But he met with Harinath Dey who was very eato learn Pali and therefore he had to extend his stay in Calcutta. He was now introduced to Manmohan Ghoshpoet and professor of English. Manmohan Ghosh was the elder brother of Arvinda Ghosh-a revolutionary accuin the Vande Mataram lawsuit who later became famous as Arvinda Rishi and Barindra Ghosh who was indic

in the Maniktol Bombing lawsuit and was hanged. During this period Manmohan Ghosh along with otrespectable leaders of the national movement like Satyendranath Tagore and Rasbihari Ghosh, was immersed

the work of establishing the National College. The National College was to start on the 15th of August 19Manmohan Gosh invited Dharmananda to initiate a course of Pali language in the college and also develop curriculum. Although there was not enough time for this, Dharmananda accepted the invitation and completed task before the opening of the college.

From the first day of the college Dharmananda started teaching Pali on a monthly salary of Rs.30/- Thus he openthe first centre of teaching Pali language in India just in eight months of his return to India. By now the boy whad passed only the fifth standard vernacular and was tending coconut trees in his village had metamorphosed ina sage like erudite scholar through six excruciating years that he spent in search of knowledge. This Babu fr

Goa, who had so far survived only on rice gruel, now taught at the National College standing shoulder to shoulwith the Oxford and Cambridge returned Bengali Babus. The perturbed mind with which he left his home, ncherished the hope of beginning a new life. He must have pined and yearned for returning home and nearly afseven years he returned to Goa in October 1906. He vividly describes this reunion thus: (q 1) He (Shri VishNaik) and I hired a vehicle and went to Sankhvali. The news of my returning home had already reached them. seeing me in the Bengali Costume my wife started crying. Shri Vishnu Naik finally succeeded in consoling evbody. I couldnt possibly stay at home for long for I was required to return to Calcutta before the end of the DuPooja Vacation in October. I stayed for a couple of days at home and went to Madgaon. My wife got readyaccompany me to Calcutta but my daughter was so scared of my beard that she refused to join us. From Madgwe arranged to send her to her grandmas place at Chikhali and I and my wife reached Calcutta.

(pp4) Dharmananda had left home when his daughter was just a little over five weeks old. Then he led a life


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hardships wandering for a long period as a Buddhist mendicant and gained vast knowledge. Realizing that the of a mendicant is not conducive to spreading the Buddhist thought he accepted a job and returned to the life ofamily man. Balabai, his wife must have felt it like a dream come true expecting happy days ahead. But this wnot to be, for, Dharmananda was a born itinerant with a disregard for domestic life. In his later life too neither dhe settle any where nor did he spend any considerable period with his family. After a small interlude of family he used to feel restless and would go away from home and hearth again on some pretext. His stay in Calcutta whis wife and child was not an exception to this. In less than two months of staying together with DharmananBalabai fell ill. Finding it difficult to care for her Dhrmananda sent her back to Goa.

It was December 1906 when Balabai was sent back to Goa. There on 31st of July 1907 she gave birth to a bboy. As per tradition since the grand father of the baby was not alive then, the baby boy was named after him, Damodar. Around this time Dharmananda became the lecturer of Pali language in the Calcutta University. It wastroke of luck for him that within an year of his teaching Pali in the National College, an established universdecided to introduce Pali language as a course. This must have been due to Dharmanandas presence in CalcuBefore accepting the post Dharmananda made it clear to the Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Mukherjee that he will give up his work in the National College. The Vice-Chancellor accepted this condition. Dharmananda acceponly one salary, although he worked at two posts the monthly salary of Rs.100/- from the University and workedthe college on honorary basis. How ever he was not satisfied even with a well paid and interesting job. He hadintention of settling down in Calcutta and had made up his mind to return back to Pune for the propagationBuddhist thought and spreading Pali language.

In the mean time Dharmananda met with the Maharaja of Baroda who was on his visit to Calcutta. On invitation Dharmananda visited Baroda in July 1908. (p5)The Maharaja tried to persuade him to leave Calcutta oin him at Baroda. But Dharmananda suggested (q 2) that he was not at all interested in making money.

would be satisfied with a remuneration just enough to meet his house hold expenses if allowed to continue work that he is fond of. The Maharaja therefore should allow him to work from a place like Pune or Mumbai smaller remuneration. Soon Dharmananda received an urgent telegram from the Maharaja of Baroda, informhim that (q 3) he could work from any city in Maharashtra and the Baroda state would pay him Rs. 50/- a mofor three years. In return Dhamananda was required to write one book every year for the state of Baroda. quickly decided to accept the offer and informed the Maharaja that he would like to work from Pune and worequire about a month and a half for winding up his unfinished jobs in Calcutta after which he would take up tnew assignment. He once again visited Burma in the meanwhile. This time he collected all the books published

Pali that were available there. The University had granted him about Rs.400 for this purpose.

On his return to Calcutta Dharmananda found himself placed in a dilemma. His principles, his moral fibre were to test. It so happened that Harinath Dey, a disciple of Dharmananda had convinced Ashutosh Mukherjee, the VChancellor, that for creating the best centre of Pali in their University, it was utterly necessary that Dharmanandretained in Calcutta at any cost. Accordingly the Syndicate passed a resolution raising Dharmanandas salaryRs.250/- a month from Rs.100, provided he stays in Calcutta at least for the next three years. He had readaccepted the Maharaja of Barodas offer of Rs.50 a month foregoing his current salary of Rs.100. But to declthe fat salary of Rs.250 a month was not easy even for this Buddhist sage. He was in two minds. But ultimately urgency of his mission in life and the promise made to the Maharaja prevailed and Dharmananda could makehis mind. He expressed his reaction to this trying circumstance to a close acquaintance of his thus: (q 4) By

grace of the Buddha and the Bodhisatwa, I could finally overcome my greed. And I am extremely happy for that

There is yet another aspect to this some what abnormal decision that he took. The Calcutta University at that tiwas the foremost centre of the process of National Resurrection. Here a new dawn of the golden age of modscience was breaking in India under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor Ashutosh Mukherjee. The enviaopportunity of being a part of this awakening was given up by Dharmananda. His son Damodar too seems to hainherited this peculiar disdain for riches and fame. However it seems his decision was indispensable in viewwhat his destiny had in store for him. His and his sons lives were to get a totally unexpected turn which he wousurely have missed were he to remain in Calcutta.

Dharmananda came to Bombay in October 1908 and stayed in a Bungalow in Borivali, that


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belonged to his friend Madgaonkar. (Later he married his son to one of the daughters of this

family.) His wife, daughter Manik and the toddler Damodar came to stay with him. (pp6)

Spending six months in Borivali, he shifted his house to Girgaon into a small

accommodation in a chawloppositePrarthana Samaj. He lived there with his family for

ust about six months and shifted to Pune dispatching his family to Goa once again. He stayed

in Pune for a year.

In his short stay in Bombay he struck a friendship with the famous Sanskrit Scholar and advocate of the PrarthaSamaj group, Dr. Vasudev Anant Sukhtankar. Because of this friendship he got the opportunity to visit Amerand Russia. An American Sanskrit scholar, Dr. James Woods of the Harvard University had been in Bombaythat time in order to study the Sanskrit language in depth. On being introduced to Dharmananda by Sukhtankartook Dharmanandas tuition to learn Pali for four months. Thus Dharmananda got introduced to Harvard. At ttime in Harvard, Prof. Warren was compiling a critical edition of the Visuddimagga, a book on Baudphilosophy. The task remained unfinished due to Warrens unfortunate demise. Prof. Lanman then took over responsibility of completing the work but needed assistance. On his return to America, Dr. Woods proposed t

Dharmananda be offered the job and Dharmananda was promptly invited by the Harvard University.

This happened in February 1910, when Dharmananda was about to complete a year of his stay in Pune. Since stay in Pune was sponsored by the Maharaja of Baroda he asked for the Maharajas permission to accept the nassignment which was unhesitatingly granted. In the month of April he embarked on his journey to USA England by ship. He returned after spending two years at Harvard.

For some reason however the work on Visuddimagga could not be completed. But his voyage to England aAmerica proved as useful as was his earlier peripatetic wandering starting from Goa to Kashi, Nepal, Sri LanBurma and back. While in England, a Dutch trader introduced him to Marxist/Socialist philosophy. He rextensively a number of books on sociology and returned to India with many more books in sociology along wthe Biography of Karl Marx. This reading gave a broad comprehensive base of modern thought to his study

religion.

On his return to India, his friend Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde advised him to accept a job in the FerguCollege at Pune. Earlier R. G. Bhandarkar along with Dharmananda had been successful in introducing Planguage in the University curriculum. This provided an opportunity of opening a Pali centre in Pune. MaharShinde personally wrote to the college administration to appoint Dharmananda. Wrangler R. P. Paranjape the tPrincipal of Ferguson College informed Dharmananda rather curtly, (q 5) We (the management of the Fergucollege) are ready to employ him. Although the monthly salary of our Life Members is Rs.100/-, you willoffered Rs.75/- and you will have to teach in the college for at least five years.

(pp7) Dharmananda did understand that since he was not a graduate or postgraduate or even a matriculate

cannot be chosen a life member of the Deccan Education Society. But that he was asked to work on a salaryRs.75/- only when all others were paid Rs.100/- a month for the same kind of work certainly did not standreason. Every life member had a fixed salary of Rs.100/- irrespective of his age or experience, for this amount wconsidered necessary to meet the needs of a family. The members were extremely proud of accepting such a lsalary on principle. But asking Dharmananda to accept a salary even lower than what was considered absolutnecessary to make two ends meet, only shows how conceited the members were.

Dharmananda had saved some money from his remuneration from Harvard by way of salary and travel expensAfter repaying all the debt incurred by his father he still had one and half thousand rupees with him. He calculathat the shortage of Rs. 25 could be made up from this savings. Spending Rs.25 every month it would last him five years. Accepting the Deccan Education Societys offer, he thought, he would be able to manage his travel other expenses and also be able to popularize Pali language in Pune. Dr. Bhandarkar and Maharaja Sayajirao


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not approve of this decision at all. The Maharaja asked him, (q6) After having served at the Harvard Univerin America, do you think it is wise enough to accept a meagre salary of Rs. 75/- and underrate your own worthThis episode in the life of Dharmananda is of special importance because Damodar too would later on associated with Ferguson College.

Dharmananda taught in the Ferguson College for six years. Quite a few of his students like Mr. C. V. Joshi (of Chimanrao fame) and Dr. P. V. Bapat (a Pali scholar known world over for his research in Pali) got their Mastedegree under him.

During this period only, it seems, (i.e., from 1912 to 1918) Dharmananda lived with his family in Pune without break. Initially he had hired an accommodation in Moti Chowk, Ravivar Peth and lived there with his wBalabai, the 13 year old eldest daughter Manik and the 5-year old son Damodar. Two more daughters, Manoraand Kamala were born to him during this period. Later on he built a small house of his own near Dr. Bhandarkain Erandavane.

We will have an occasion to refer to this period of Damodars life later. At the end of this period, in 1918, DWoods persuaded Dharmananda to join him at Harvard once again. By now he had completed more than 5 yearsservice in the Ferguson College. Such a long stay in one place must have rendered the mendicant uneasyaddition this was a welcome opportunity for completion of the unfinished job of Visuddimagga that he hundertaken earlier. So he resigned from the College and got ready to go. Now however the Ferguson Colleadministration tried to retain him and Wrangler Paranjape even offered to raise his salary to Rs.100. Finally he wgranted two years leave without accepting his resignation.

(pp 8) Dharmanand travelled this time with Manik and Damodar to America for further education there. He spnearly four years there. Yet the work of compilation of a fresh edition of Visuddimagga could not be compledue to certain controversy. He, however, revised and brought out improved versions of a lot of ancient Pliterature and taught Pali to many during this period. He struck a close friendship with Weiner (spl), a Jewprofessor from Poland teaching there. Dharmananda learned the Russian language from him. Then in August 1he returned to India with his daughter leaving Damodar to continue his studies in America.

Now he decided to go to Ahmedabad, where Mahatma Gandhi had founded the Gujarat Vidyapeeth to introdnational education as against the prevailing British education. This institution had a special department

Archaeology calledPuratatwa Mandirfor research in ancient literature. The salary of the post of the professorcharge of this department was fixed at Rs.250/- a month. Gandhiji knew that Dharmananda needed more moneysend to his son in America and therefore offered him a salary of Rs.350/- a month. What a contrast with experience at the Ferguson College, where he had to accept a salary that was less than what his other colleaguwere paid which was insulting. Here he was offered more than the usual salary. Accepting a higher salary wadilemma for this saintly intellectual. He spent three years in this department, teaching, writing and doing reseawork. Along with this he studied the principles of Jain Religion. He went to Harvard again, for the third time foyear in 1926.

The horizon of Dharmanandas vision, by now had greatly expanded. Jawaharlal Nehru and his father MotNehru had just returned from Russia. They had gone there to attend the celebration of the tenth anniversary of

Soviet Revolution. In an article on this trip, Nehru wrote about an institution in Leningrad where BuddhReligion was being studied. Dharmananda was interested in visiting this institution. He asked Jawaharlal Nehru his advice. Not only did Nehru encourage him to go there as he thought Dharmananda would get much valuaexperience there, he also gave him addresses of people whom he could contact. As a result Dharmananda receivan invitation from the Soviet Academy of Sciences to visit Russia. During his stay in Russia in 1929 Dharmanantaught Pali in the Buddhist Institution and Leningrad University. He visited Moscow and many other cities astudied the post-revolution social environment there.

In the early 1930 he returned to India. This was the year when Gandhiji set out on his Dandi Yatra initiating Salt Satyagraha (resisting injustice peacefully) and the non-cooperation movement. The movement caught on spread all over the country. Dharmananda had become one of the closest associates of Mahatma Gandhi whileworked in the Gujarat University and he inexorably was drawn into the movement, joining the salt movement


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Shiroda. Later the Congress Committee of the Bombay province gave him the responsibility of popularizing Satyagraha movement among the working class. All these activities led to his arrest and indictment. He wsentenced to hard labour in the Thane Prison for a year but soon he was exonerated in the High Court and set fre

(Pp9)Dharmananda again visited America for the forth and the last time in the year 1932-33. On his returnvisited Russia for a couple of weeks. Back in India he kept travelling from place to place- Pune, Banaras HinVidyapeeth, Kashi Vidyapeeth, etc. In 1939 he founded Bahujana Vihar at Parel in Bombay and worked there1940. Before long his wander lust overtook him and he started moving from place to place-Pune, BombBangalore, Ahmedabad, Sarnath, Kashi, etc. By now he was a tired man of 70 years. His old diabetes had beco

severe and troublesome. He felt he was no more capable of any useful productive work. So he decided to end life by Maranatic Sallekhan a method approved in the Jain Religion meaning a voluntary fast unto death.

For fifty long years Dharmananda remained a conscientious Buddhist. Riches and material comfort meant littlehim. In whatever work he undertook he never cultivated any vested interest. In this sense he was a religious mbut unlike other religious men neither was he entrapped into religious rituals, nor did he remain engrossed wspiritual pursuits and aloof from social affairs. His biographer, J. S. Sukhtankar calls him, quite aptly, a DevAtheist. He was to a large extent a rational thinker with a strong socialist base. So the outlook of this devatheist was modern and realistic.

In 1912, he delivered a lecture on Carl Marx: his Biography and Thoughts under the chairmanship of N.Kelkar. The occasion was Vasant Vyakhyan Mala (a series of public lectures held in spring.) Dharmananthought that acquaintance with the modern socialist thoughts of Karl Marx would prove very useful to thinvolved in the Indian freedom movement. So he gave all the books on socialism that he possessed to N. C. Kelwho shouldered the responsibility of editorship of Kesari when Lokamanya Tilak was in Prison. HoweverDharmananda himself has written, to his disappointment Kelkar did not make any use of them.

Dharmananda was very happy when Nehru, as the President of the National Congress in the 1929 conferenceLahore declared that he was a Socialist. He was very close to Gandhiji and had a genuine respect for him. Yetdid not agree with Gandhijis proposition that big land and capital holders should act as trustees of the society aexpressed his dissatisfaction regarding it.

Of course Dharmanandas proclivity to socialism was solely because of its principles that are complementary

parallel to the Bauddha philosophy. He was particularly attracted by Humanism and the principle of equality inHe, however, totally disagreed with the violence that was implied in the Marxist revolution. This was, he felt, to the effect of European Parochialism from which even the great philosopher could not escape. Despite inclination towards Socialism, he says, he could not understand Marxs The Capital.

(pp10) Dharmanandas cerebral pursuits described so far are important for understanding Damodars distinct personality. The relationship between a father and a son is quite commonly manifested by its love-hacceptance-denial and emulation-confrontation phases. But that between an extraordinary father and remarkable son is obviously much important in order to understand the son.

We now turn to the protagonist of this biography Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi.

Damodar was born on the 31st of July 1907. His father was at that time in Calcutta. Thereafter he went onAmerican tour and established a household in Pune with his family only in 1912, having accepted a post in Ferguson College. Dharmananda did stay with his family in Bombay for a short period of six months during tinterval. But the rest of the 5 years from his birth he had to spend in Goa with his maternal grand father. Herebecame as versatile in the Konkani language as in his mother tongue Marathi.

Dharmananda spent six uninterrupted years-from 1912 to 1918- in Pune with his family. By this time his eldaughter Manik had almost finished her schooling, while Damodar and the younger daughter Manorama hstarted theirs. The youngest Kamala was just a toddler. This was the only time when the whole family livtogether and Damodar lived happily in the company of his father, mother and the three sisters, which he was

destined to enjoy ever again.


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Damodar entered the New English School. Here he became famous as an outstanding student of sharp intellRight from the beginning he was on the fast track and completed his vernacular schooling when he had not ev

completed 8 years. He entered the first standard of English school (equivalent to todays 5 th standard) in the y1915. All the teachers admired this talented little boy. His younger sister Manorama remembers how the teachused to turn to Damodar when the rest of the students were unable to answer a question and say, All the powerwarriors are exhausted. Now let us see what our young Abhimanyu can do and sure enough Damodar usedcome out of the catacomb without fail. (Abhimanyu was the son of Arjun and had to enter the confusing militarray of the Kauravas because he alone knew how to achieve this feat. He was very young.)

Being too young for his class also caused some hilarious incidents in the beginning. In one of his progress reporis seen that the would be famous mathematician and historian Damodar obtained 28/135 marks in mathematics a19/75 in history-geography. His teacher, Mr. Oak had remarked, (pp11) This boy is very week in mathematiHowever Damodar overcame this initial teething trouble very fast and became the teachers pet in a coupleyears before he was 11years old.

There was one more reason why Damodars teachers called him Abhimanyu. Not only was he too young for class but he also had a very weak constitution. He often suffered from cough and cold and fever. He was short avery thin. After school he used to complain that his legs pained. He and his sister Manorama, stood the saheight although she was two years younger than him. She could easily twist his hand while he could not do soher even with both of his hands. But all this was in stark contrast with the tall and muscular personality that he w

known to have built up in his later life.

His youngest sister Kamalabai has mentioned about one more aspect of Damodars character in his school days7) He was a thoroughly pampered boy. He would rudely talk to anyone, with little regard to the elders without hesitation. Mother was much too indulgent towards him. Father was somewhat strict and used to scold him.addition he was quite short-tempered and stubborn. He would get angry if anyone dared touch any of his things.

Damodar was short tempered as described by his sister. But his temper was equally matched by his affectionand generous nature. Once Manorama was down with conjunctivitis her eyes had to be banded and she was able to see and therefore unable to move around. Damodar used to lead her to the swing and rock her as soon asreturned home from school. Damodar cultivated both these contrasting characteristics-short temper and bluntnbalanced by affection and generosity meticulously in his later life.

Dharmanand planned his second trip to USA in 1918. His eldest daughter Manik who was 19 years old had pasher college examination of the previous year. Since Dharmananda was to join Harvard University, he decidedtake Manik with him to US for the rest of her education. Earlier it was decided that Balabai and children wostay in Pune to continue childrens education. But Balabai was laid up again and Dharmananda had to send herGoa with the girls. Damodar was to stay in a hostel in Pune. But considering his indifferent health and precocityschool, it was not wise to leave him in Pune. In those days one had to complete 17 years before appearing Matriculation and Damodar would be ready for that examination at the age of just 14 years, thus loosing 3 yea(pp12) This finally decided the issue and Damodar too accompanied Dharmanand to America.

Finally Dharmanand sailed to America with his two elder children in June 1918. The proper route would have b

via Suez Canal to Boston on the east coast of America. But because of the First World War, their steamer reachSan Francisco on the west coast of America via Singapore and Japan. It took them full 4 months to reach the wcoast and had to travel to Boston by train. Damodar caught Influenza during his journey by train. With htemperature and breathlessness he became very edgy. The fever subsided after a short while. But the weakn

persisted for a long time. After reaching Boston on October 14th, Dharmananda settled down in the Cambridge cin the state of Massachusetts. This is where the Harvard University is situated. Here the first thing that he did wto admit his children into college and school and begin their studies again. Damodars unusual education nstarted.

Education in a foreign country was of much importance even in those days of British rule. All the same it was as easy as it is today. Only rich men, big land holders and the princely rulers could send their children to fore

countries for education. Rarely would any middle class students get such an opportunity on their merit. Cambrid


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The climate in Cambridge was charged with science and technology. Damodar could discern how the progressthese two fields enabled America to advance in leaps and bounds. Plenty of literature in science and technolowas available. Excellent books were stacked in best of libraries, waiting to be read. What more could Damoexpect? Endowed with a fond interest and an incredible speed in reading coupled with a photographic memoryread voraciously covering as many fields of knowledge as possible. The libraries were replete with books, simand interesting, introducing laymen to all kinds of subjects. Diagrams, charts, illustrations of latest developmenscience were rendered in simple form, easy to understand. In Damodars own words, (q 9) Innumerable outlimade it easy to learn something about every branch of science. Damodar made the best possible use of them His impetuous, scientific, materialist outlook was the result of this surcharged atmosphere. Since his adolesce

he preferred the nature based philosophy of science to spirituality based on speculation regarding the world.

His pursuit of knowledge pervaded all the fields of life. His progress in sports and body building wasremarkable as that in intellectual achievements. He visited the gymnasium regularly and did a lot of weight liftand other exercises. Swimming, jogging, trekking and ice skating during winters were his additional pursuits. was a member of the Cambridge Branch of American Boy Scouts. His enthusiastic participation won himnumber of medals, especially the Eagle-a coveted award in Scouts. As his younger sister Manorama relates,had all these medals stitched on the sleeve of his Scout Coat. His sleeve was overflowing with them whenreturned to India.

Damodar spent the first four years of his schooling in America in the company of his father and elder siManiktai which gave him comfort and happiness of some family life. Maniktai was 8 years older than him amade up to some extent for being away from his mother. Equally important was the company of his father whelped him develop a proper outlook on research and pursuit of knowledge. Another advantage was opportunity he had of meeting many erudite professors who were his fathers colleagues in Harvard. The mimportant of these acquaintances was his intimate relationship with the Wiener family. Professor Wiener tauSlavic languages in the University and Dharmananda had learned (pp15) Russian language from him. LWieners son Norbert Wiener had done very important research in Mathematics in MIT. He became well-knownthe Father of Cybernetics all over the world. Norbert Wiener, in fact, was more than twelve years older thDamodar and his wife and Maniktai were classmates. The relationship, commenced as a school boy, ladeveloped into an intense friendship.

A lot of similarity can be noticed in the characters and development of both these eminent men. This could be o

of the reasons why they became such fast friends. Damodars life was quite extra ordinary. But Norbert Weinewas more so. He is considered one of the child prodigies of the century. In the third year of his life Norbert starreading. His father noticed his keen intelligence and decided to personally supervise the childs development abring out the genius in him. He was very severe, almost merciless in the upbringing of his son. The father starfeeding his son with huge dozes of knowledge on various subjects including mathematics. The son too was mthan a match for the father. He came out shining like gold through the fiery ordeal of his fathers relentless routand discipline more severe than that in the military. He entered college when he was just 11 years old and obtain

the Ph.D. degree from the Harvard University as he entered the 19th year. Weiner knew many languages. Damowas a multi-linguist too. Born a Jew, Weiner was an atheist and could never get on with the well established elHe deeply sympathized with the poor and the Asian, Mexican and other minorities of America. He admired arespected Oriental Culture and most important he was a committed Humanist and never hesitated to take a sta

Though an acknowledged top mathematician of America, he refused to participate in the Manhattan projectNuclear Explosives. All the same he did work in the project of improving the accuracy of the anti-aircraft gubecause that was related to defence and not belligerence. In 1947 he declared that from then onwards he will participate in any defence related research work. He devoted the rest of his life in research in mathematics aautomation, the technology that would acquire increasing importance in the future. Along with the research whe never stopped warning and alerting Humanity about the problems the new technology was likely to pose.

A common friend of both Weiner and Damodar from America has said that there was a great similarity betwthe two except that Weiner was short and plumb while Damodar was tall, hefty and brawny. Both were bleswith sharp minds and enviable abilities, diverse interests, a flair for learning languages and the fearless mentaof criticizing wars and social injustice. Both were able to speak authoritatively on scientific and cultudevelopments that were totally unrelated to their field of investigation, viz., mathematics. With all th


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exceptional attributes Weiner and Damodar were of a class by themselves.

(pp16) Weiner was about 13 years older than Kosambi. When they were introduced to each other, Kosambi waschool boy of 13/14 years while Weiner was a youthful shining star in the field of education in Cambridge. Weiobviously must have influenced the shaping of Kosambis character and personality.

Maniktai graduated from Radcliff College in the year 1922. By this time Dhrmananda too had almost complehis assignment. So he returned to India with his daughter, leaving Damodar behind to complete his educatiDamodar shifted to a hostel. Dharmananda made a provision of $25 (Rupees 75 in those days) a month for hi

Damodar had to spend the last two years of schooling by himself, alone in a foreign country. This was the perwhen he got virtually integrated with the American society.

In those days Cambridge city was divided into two parts: one was known as town while the other was calgown. The town was mainly populated by industrial workers and white collar office workers. In the Gown plived the intellectual elite of the Harvard University. Damodars friends circle mostly lived in the town. Tbuilding of the YMCA was situated in the Cambridge Central Square. Damodar frequented this place regulausing the YMCA Gymnasium and Cafeteria extensively. Later, on entering the Harvard University, he becammember of the Gown society. However his bond with the Town remained intact as related by one of his fellstudents. He enjoyed the cheap hotels and cinema houses in the town and preferred to stroll in the CambridCentral Square of the town to the Harvard Square frequented by the elite of the Gown.

By now, it seems, Damodar had adapted himself to the American Way of life. During the holidays he used to woin some cow-pen or an orchard. Here he learnt three important American virtues-dignity of labour by dirtying own hands, independently finding ones way or opportunity and not bothering about any established socialauthoritative hierarchy; the virtues scarcely found in India even today.

Damodar passed his final school examination with flying colours. In those days successfully passing an entraexamination was essential to enter into Harvard University. Only a few candidates were exempted from thistheir merit. Damodar was one such student admitted without appearing for the entrance examination.

There was a tradition in the Cambridge and Latin School, to publish each students photo and a couple of sentento appreciate his merit in the final examination in the schools annual Bulletin. The bulletin of 1923 conta

Damodars photo with the following lines: (pp17)

Kosambi, Damodar D. "Baba"

380 Harvard Street

Harvard Grammar School

New English School, Poona, India

July 31, 1907

"The Rest to Some Faint Meaning Make Pretence

But Baba Never Deviates To Sense"

Swimming, 1923

Track, 1923

Winner Review Literary Contest, 1923

Harvard.


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This small piece of record throws enough light on Damodars achievement during his school years. BesiDamodars name his nickname, Baba is written in inverted commas. Baba was Damodars pet nam(Dharmananda himself was called Bapu in his family). Damodar was popular as Baba among his schoolmates afriends circle from the town. (Later his few close friends used to call Damodar Baba on his own insistence.)

Direct entrance to Harvard was just one of his achievements. The other achievements were his excellenceswimming and running. He had won a prize in essay competition. The above mentioned two lines, (q 10) "The to some faint meaning make pretence but Baba never deviates to sense" subtly describe his nature. The insinuatin these lines seems to point out to Damodars impetuous and mischievous behaviour refusing to go by the socia

established demeanour while he was only a schoolboy. In his later life too he persistently took people by surprat times, for no reason what so ever.

Along with the direct admission to Harvard, Damodar was successful in securing a scholarship too. He excelleda number of subjects but mathematics was dearer to his heart than any one of them. About this lure of mathemathe writes, (q 11) However I chose mathematics because I could not resist its fascination. His wish for technieducation, expressed when he was merely 11years old had obviously vanished by now. ( pp 18 ) So entering Man institution of excellence in Technology that existed in Cambridge itself was out of question. Instead he avaithe opportunity of higher education in Harvard University that could vie with any European University of thdays. Unfortunately, however, Damodar was not destined to exploit this opportunity to the full.

In 1924 when he successfully passed the final examination of his school, Damodar was running his 17

th

year. was brought to Cambridge from Poona when he was just 11years old. It must have been quite traumatic to be toaway from the sheltered and secure atmosphere of a small, close knit family and be put into an unfamiliar miliof a fast growing and overly competitive society, culturally and socially poles apart. It was like a child usedtaking a plunge into the water of a cistern, being thrown into an open sea to swim. In the first four years of his stin this atmosphere, Damodar was secure and assured of support in the company of his father and his elder sisHis sharp intellect helped him not only adjust to the new environment but also shine in it. His physidevelopment was equally enviable. He excelled in both intellectual as well as physical fields. Yet it is quite likand natural that a kind of psychological and emotional vacuum prevailed in Damodars mind creating a senseinsecurity while he was in America. In the Indian families boys are much pampered and given attention evtoday. Damodars case was quite extraordinary. He was the only son among three daughters, born after his fathad returned home after seven long years and 9 years after the first girl child was born. He must have been

darling of his mother. His younger sister has written that their mother pampered him a lot. Severing these clemotional ties in his childhood must have caused anxiety and tension in his juvenile mind. At the end of schooling Damodar must have become home sick and restless to be back with the home and hearth. Longingreturn home, Damodar found it difficult to concentrate on his studies. Sensing this Dharmananda called him bato India.

Damodar postponed his studies in Harvard and came home.

At the time of Damodars return in the latter part of 1924 Dharmananda was employed in the ArchaeoloDepartment of the Gujarat University situated near Sabarmati Ashram. Maniktai was Superintendent of Ahilyashrama girls school in Indore. Their mother and (pp19) the two younger sisters lived with Manik

Damodar spent his time between Ahmedabad and Indore. In Gandhijis close circle of great leaders of those daDharmananda was a much respected member. Damodar was very fortunate to know them all and deveacquaintance with them. Most notable of them were the then vice-chancellor of Gujarat University, AchaKripalani and the head of thePuratatwa Mandir(department of archaeology), Acharya Muni Jinvijayji. Damomust have seen Gandhiji quite often at close quarters. As some of his close friends stated that Gandhijis influenon him was long lasting and for some time he made it a point to use Khadi. But his scholarly and academdevelopment in the later life shows that he did not care much about Gandhian Philosophy. Muni Jainvijayji, bea Jain scholar was nevertheless his fast friend. Damodar never made any use of his contacts with these eminpeople. The only exception was when Jinvijayjis support and encouragement proved useful for getting some ofSanskrit books published twenty years later.

Principal R. B. Joshi of Indore has related at length one episode from Damodars life during this period in Ind


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This episode well illustrates his personality in those days. (q 12) Principal R.B. Joshi had said, the students of Holkar College of Indore had organized an excursion. They had planned to stay in Dr. Sukhtankars Bungalownight and spend the next day climbing up and down the mountain seeing the waterfalls of Patalpani, BrahmakuMendikund, etc. Vishnupant Barpute, the chief of the Scout Movement in Indore was our leader. DamoDharmnanda, i.e., Baba Kosambi had joined us.

We all appreciated Babas company. All of us were curious about the way the son of a world renowMaharashtrian, educated in America would talk and behave with us. In the beginning we would watch him fromdistance because there was such a lot of disparity between him and us. We could talk in English falteringly wh

he would talk mostly in English fluently and that too in American English. He talked in Marathi too but onllittle and it sounded quite unnatural. For an age of 16 or 17, he had a brawny and hefty body. His solid shoulmuscles peeping through the open collar of his Khaki shirt looked like the sloping sides of a pyramid. The portioof his arms below the half sleeves of his shirt, from the elbow downward were shaped like a sculpture. Attiredkhaki shirt and khaki Knickers with a haversack flung on his back and a solid stick in his hand stirring around, attractive figure arrested our attention. Despite these heroic qualities he talked so freely and with such ease thatshort while he was one of us. His English became intelligible to us and we sensed the difference between spokEnglish and bookish English. He gave toffees that he had brought with him to all of us. He occasionally would ta toffee back from someone telling him, Hi, you have one too many! and give it someone else. I heard this idifor the first time and remember it ever since. At times he did not spare even Barpute from his banter.

When he took off his clothes for bathing in the Mendikunda, his form in perfect proportion like a Greek staastonished us. He then started talking about exercise and showed us how to exercise and build the muscles of back and the shoulders into perfect shape without using dumbbells, chest expanders and such other equipment. told us that Bernard McFadden who is so popular here was not appreciated in America.

He was always first to offer his hand to help those who faltered while crossing a rapid brook or climbing up down a mountain. Baba surely was no snob.

(pp20) During this time, Damodar visited Goa to meet his maternal uncle, cousins and friends. His was a big cirof relatives and friends in Goa. Quite a few of them have taken the trouble to write anecdotes about him during travel in Goa. Damodar himself must have told many of these anecdotes to his friends. Most of his time in Goa,spent in gathering information about mineral wealth and water resources there. He investigated into the use

these natural resources and discovered that they were not properly utilized. It seems that he also did a lotinvestigation as to how to remedy this shortcoming. He fulfilled his life long pursuit of wandering in the jungleshis hearts content. His uncle has written about his strange interest in hunting which took him into the junglesthe Sahyadri Mountains with a rifle. This surely is a strange interest for the son of Dharmananda who had devohis life to propagating religious teachings of Buddha and who had been an active, whole hearted supporter of nviolent movement of Gandhiji.

Memories written about his later life by many tell us that his passion for hunting persisted for a number of yelater. But there is no hint in any of the memories to show how expert a hunter he was. Yet there is one clue. Tlegend says, "He was never satisfied with just tracking and shooting his prey but was rather more interestedtracking the path of the bullet, which is a problem of ballistics. Every school boy knows that the path of a bulle

parabolic. But finding the bullets actual path is quite complicated as it is affected by many variables atmospheric friction, direction of the wind, size of the bullet, etc. Damodar, it is said, made a lot of progresssolving this problem at practical level all by him self and developed equations to determine the path. He fiseveral rounds of bullets and verified the accuracy of his equations. Later in the first year of the college, wheteacher started teaching them about the parabolic path at an elementary level, Damodar contemptuously shrugghis shoulders saying, (pp 21) what a waste of time explaining trivial things!, and left the class." Thus ends legend. It does not throw any light on how Damodar grappled with this problem but it does bring out his virtue tis rarely found in others. Once he traced the basic principles involved in any problem he would proceed to them into practice to solve problems of real life. This attitude of independent investigation could be frequenvisible in his later life too. Normally Indian students do not try to relate the knowledge they acquire from booksreal life situations. (Thanks to Macaulays educational system.) Damodar received his early education in Amerand picked up this virtue there when quite young.


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While Damodar wandered in India the problem about his higher education remained unresolved. He must hamade some efforts to get admission into some Indian Institution, in vain, for, the final school leaving examinatthat he passed with flying colours in America was not recognized in India at that time. His father, Dharmananwas working in the field of education. Yet he did not put in any effort to secure admission in an Indian Universfor his son; so writes his biographer J. S. Sukhtankar. Probably because both the father and the son thought that traditional, inferior education available here was of no use.

In the year 1925, Damodar did not do any thing in particular. Dharmananda was negotiating his third visitHarvard. Finally he gave up his post in the Gujarat University and left for America in January 1926. Damodar t

sailed to America with him to join Harvard College.

The home sick lad having stayed in the company of his mother and sisters for a while was comforted and relievof his mental and emotional strain. On reaching Harvard he began his education afresh with the same enthusiaand vigour.

This one years vacation was useful in one more sense. His roots in India became strong and firmly settled. He acquainted with the problems of India and the atmosphere here. He could now compare his experience in Amerwith that he had in India. He had been to America as a child of 11 years. And it was necessary for him to reinsthis bond with his mother land before he embarked on another long journey in higher education. This is what gained in one years vacation.

But in practical sense he lost quite a lot. Four years later when Damodar graduated from Harvard University Great Depression was threatening America and the rest of the world, rendering any further research impossibDamodar was obliged to return to India without a Ph.D. degree. It would have been possible if he had graduateyear earlier. (pp 22) In that case his later research work would have taken a different turn. Destiny had a differplan for him.

Damodar entered Harvard University in January 1926. Dharmananda stayed with him for a year and a half. Bfather and son lived on the first floor of an airy rooming house at 10 Trau Bridge Street in Cambridge. Damodarnow had grown enough not only to take care of his own studies but also to help his father in his research workthis process he was introduced to Pali language and also research and revision of ancient literature.

Dharmananda returned to India after his tenure was over. Damodar now shifted to a room on the top floor of same house. At $4 a month this room was the cheapest available in Cambridge at that time. It was situated at end of the stairway with a sloping roof and only one window. There was no provision for warming the room. Bthese inadequacies did not count at all for Damodar. He was not inclined to rest and enjoyment. Nor did he haany time to indulge in such luxuries. He put his mind and soul in the pursuit of knowledge; knowledge not in jone field but in as many fields as it was possible to acquire.

The remaining three rooms of the top floor were occupied by American students. One of them has described interiors of Damodars room. According to what he remembers just a single picture was hung on one of the waThat was Gandhijis photograph. All other walls had shelves full of books on astonishingly varied subjects. Thwere plenty of books on scientific subjects mostly in German (Germany being the most important centre

sciences in that period prior to the Second World War.) Plenty of philological books and editions of Bible in LatGreek, German, French and other languages decorated his shelves. He used the Bible in several languages comparative study of those languages. He had paperback editions of plenty of books in French, Italian and Germliterature. He was a voracious reader covering a vast span of reading material. He could read with a tremendspeed and a photographic memory. He acquired this high calibre talent in his twenties, which was so manifest tany one who came in contact with him did not fail to notice it.

Reading something light was useful to reduce the strain produced by serious books and Damodar devoured a lotMystery books which craze continued in his later life too. A couple of persons had told the author of t biography that he finished three mystery books in one trip between Pune and Mumbai by the Deccan Que(pp23) Another remedy to reduce the strain of serious reading was to see a cinema. He used to see two or thpictures every week. This was a new medium of entertainment and Damodar fully exploited it. He used to att


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all programs of western classical music and symphonies. But he used to buy lowest tickets of 25 cents and listenthe music from the high balcony. The top floor of the rooming house was quite noisy at times as Damodar and friends played card games dominated by clamour and leg pulling. Damodar led these boisterous gangs. He conot grow out of this habit of leg pulling and continued with it teasing his fellow travellers on the journey betwPune and Mumbai.

Another hobby of his was to wander all over in the surroundings where he lived. The banks of the river Charthat flows through Cambridge were thick with woods. He loved to wander through these woods with his friendsholidays which he continued throughout his later life. As he settled down in Pune he regularly walked up

Hanuman Hill and went on long tours of the surrounding areas on holidays. During these tours he carried important research of prehistoric period. His colleagues in this research work describe how they enjoyKosambis company on these tours.

He liked to eat at the cheap hotels in the towns on his visits and savour the flavours of all the tasty dishes. WhileHarvard he developed a taste for Chinese food with his Chinese friends. In his food habits he did not observe arestrains or restrictions. His father, however, was a staunch vegetarian. Later on during his stay in Aligarhvisited a number of Muslim Hotels in the market area and discovered one hotel that offered the best Biryani in town. He frequented this hotel and recommended it to all his friends. While working in the Tata InstituteFundamental Research (TIFR) in Bombay, he used to visit the Nankin Hotel near Gateway of India and anotChinese Hotel opposite to it and have his lunch there. A few selected friends and students were fortunate enoughaccompany him at those restaurants. Today no one bothers about what other people eat. But in those days of 1935, for a Brahmin to go to a Muslim Hotel and eat meat there was something unimaginable and almost forbiddand so was for a Maharashtrian to savour Chinese food in a Chinese Hotel. But Damodar cared little for thprohibitions and continued with his habits acquired while in Harvard.

Eating chocolates was another habit he acquired in America. Professor Joshi has described this habit of his. continued to eat Cadbury and other quite expensive imported chocolates to the astonishment of his companioMany of them have related how Kosambi when pleased with their work used to show his appreciation by offerthem big bars of Cadbury or a tin of toffees. (pp 24)

Like all other American students he worked in some orchards or a dairy to earn some pocket money. Later onused to trace his rheumatic pain to his hard toil of lifting heavy milk cans during his student days, with a li

grouse but at the same time with pride too.

All the above trivialities depict Kosambis personality that took shape during his stay in America. But his mpurpose there was to get good education at Harvard. This he accomplished with great success.

His education in Harvard up to his graduation was quite unique. He was not interested in further education. Instehe began teaching mathematics and pursued his own independent research. He did not confine himself to the stuof only a few subjects with an eye on any specific subjects for post-graduate degree. This gave him freedomwork on as many subjects of he wished. In the educational system of America, unlike in our system, there are water tight compartments like Sciences, Arts, etc. One can offer any subjects from science to sociology to histto languages for graduation. He offered 18 courses in one year and completed them all quite successfully.

Mathematics of course had always been his first love, and therefore, the main subject of study. He was fortunatehave the best teacher in mathematics at Harvard, Prof. George David Birkhoff. Garret Birkhoff, his son too becaan eminent mathematician and became more famous afterwards. But his father George David Birkhoff remainunparalleled. He was the first internationally acknowledged American mathematician. All other well knomathematicians of that time were educated in Europe and even Americans thought that being trained exclusivelyAmerica could not achieve much. One can find a parallel to him in Dr. Raman of India who without going abrconducted original research on his own that earned him the most coveted Nobel Prize in Physics. Birkhoffaddition founded his own school of mathematics that produced eminent mathematicians on the American soil put America on the world map in mathematics. Damodar had the opportunity to learn at the feet of such a smade Guru of mathematics. Birkhoff admired Damodar and admitted him into his intimate circle of studenBirkhoff used to conduct a special course to individually guide his favourite students. Kosambi was admitted to


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special course on the Multi-Body Problem.

Birkhoff expected Kosambi to do some important research in Mathematics and considering the number of courthat Kosambi had chosen, advised him to concentrate on mathematics. Kosambi was now in two minds. Hinterest in mathematics was beyond doubt and so was his desire to do original research in it. But his craving knowledge in as many subjects as possible kept pulling him away. He could not decide whether to discontinother courses or at least reduce them and then concentrate on mathematics. It was equally difficult not to pay hto Birkhoffs advice. Damodar wrote to his father about his dilemma and asked for his opinion. Dharmanansupported Damodar and wrote back, that he was delighted by Damodars yearning for vast and varied knowled

covering as many fields as possible. With his fathers support Damodar was now able to make up his mind. mustered enough courage to disregard the advice of the Guru of Mathematics. Dharmanandas support was unconditional. He expected Damodar to not just study every thing possible but wanted him to excel in evsubject he undertook for his study. He had expressed this wish explicitly and told Damodar quite tersely aboutHere is an interesting episode revealing Dharmanandas mind.

In an examination at the end of one session Damodar had A Grade in three subjects out of four and a B Gradethe forth subject. Getting three As in Harvard University was certainly laudable. But Dharmananda felt otherwiOne B was a disgrace for him. He wrote a very strong letter to Damodar, that if he is not able to get A gradeevery subject, it amounts to wasting his time in America. And in that case he better return back to India. Damobecame very uneasy and decided that he had to regain his fathers appreciation of him at any cost. By this time second session had already begun. So he decided to take an extra course in the summer vacation and shine in itmuch that his father will have no choice but be pleased with him.

Damodar had interest as well as flair for languages. He already knew Greek, Latin, German and French. He hnot learned Italian so far. His father, too, was an accomplished student of Pali. This might be the reason whychose to learn Italian language in order to prove himself in the eyes of his father. He started with the elementcourse in Italian language in the next summer. For this course there were four standard books in simple Italian the beginners. Every student was expected to study two of them. Determined to face up to his father, Damoobtained original editions of all four books and studied them meticulously. At the end of this course (pp26)professor sent him a message, I have been a teacher of Italian for many long years. But this is the first time tham required to grant the A + grade to any one. Damodar was very happy and sent the chit that his professor wrto him to his father without adding a single word.

Later on Damodars neighbour, a fellow student, Lawrence Arguimbau heard him animatedly talking with anotperson for quite some time. When that fellow left, Lawrence asked Damodar about this heated discussion oucuriosity. He casually replied, Oh, that one; he is writing a Ph.D. Thesis on Dante. So I was guiding him.

It is hard to believe, for any one, that a student who has completed only a primary course in Italian, despite his Agrade, can be so proficient as to be able to guide a Ph.D. student. But not for Arguimbau. For him Damodabehaviour was not abnormal. Neither was he exaggerating nor was there even a trace of arrogance, for Arguimbhad experienced Damodars command on various subjects at first hand.

Arguimbau was an undergraduate student of nuclear science. Kosambis main subject was mathematics and he h

not even completed the sophomore course in physics by that time. (Remember his research on the path of a bulleOnce Arguimbau casually mentioned about an article written by Einstein regarding Bohrs Atom. It was publisin a German Research Magazine and was not widely read. The discussion that ensued there after revealed tKosambi had read and thoroughly studied that article! In addition he gave Arguimbau a number of other articwritten by Einstein on that subject which he had not read despite being a student of nuclear physics.

These episodes disclose the depth, width and strength of the foundation of all-round knowledge that Kosambi hbuilt for his own education. But the credit is not solely due to his rare intellect and his capacity for unbelievahard work and perseverance. Part of the credit is also due to other factors like the environment that nurtured qualities he was born with, and the American atmosphere that provided matching challenge to his ambitiintellect and enough and timely opportunity for his all-round growth. The American society at that time w blossoming and on the rise. The education there placed equal emphasis on the classical European culture


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modern scientific and technological ethos. Vast knowledge in every field was easily available there for any oneasking. The Widener Library in Harvard is very well equipped and considered one of the best libraries in world. The vast knowledge from ancient to modern literature, innumerable books on science and technology aplenty of research papers available there provided momentum and exercise to Damodars high-speed reading aphotographic memory.

(pp27) The quick development of trade and industry in America had made that society competitive. Harvareducational atmosphere too had become competitive as a result. Harvard being a first grade university had attraca number of bright and gifted young students from the rising society. Naturally there was much peer pressure a

every student had to struggle hard. It is like running a race. More the competition more is the speed of all competitors. If there is no one to match the ability of the best runner, he too slows down and takes longer time thhis own record. This applies to educational and intellectual fields too. In such atmosphere the gem of Damodamultifaceted intelligence was shaped by the Guru Birkhoff, the ideal researcher Norbert Wiener and the contendfellow students. Nothing of this sort was possible in India.

Finally after 3 years of study Damodar became Bachelor of Arts in 1929 with spectacular success. He was aawarded the title of Summa cum Laude (equivalent to distinction in Indian University) and the membershipPhi Beta Kappa.

However circumstances now took a strange turn and Damodar could not continue his research work in Amerany longer and could not get his Doctorate degree.

The first 10 years of Kosambis stay in America was the most prosperous period after World War I, whAmerican Free Economy grew by leaps and bounds. By 1929 the growth started declining and the World Econowas increasingly being caught into the whirlpool of stagnation. The total collapse came by the end of 1929. Trich speculators were rendered penniless overnight. One after another industries closed rendering thousandsworkers jobless. Unemployment was so rampant that even highly educated men had to accept any low paid job twas available. Universities had curtailed research assistants posts and many aspiring science students wdisappointed. The great depression was expected to continue for a long period. Later it was slightly ameliorawhen President Franklin Roosevelt tried to bring the situation under control by government intervention.

The storm had been gathering since the beginning of 1929. Economic stagnation hindered growth. (pp

Normally temporary jobs were easily available to student during their vacations. Even these became scaUniversities had to curtail the number of scholarships and fellowships due to lack of funds. This situation wbound to affect and did affect Damodar earlier than others.

Damodar despite being awarded the Summa cum Laudeat the Arts Bachelor degree was not given MathemaFellowship for post-graduation for a few reasons, some of them being related to Kosambis nature. At Harvanormally a student after spending 4-5 years was expected to leave that University and seek admission in anotuniversity with a different atmosphere. This custom prevails even today. Of course there were exceptions anfew selected students were offered Research opportunities in Harvard University. Kosambi was not selected duefewer fellowships and probably also due to the reluctance of the Department of Mathematics to admit him becaof his diverse interests and consequent lack of focus solely on mathematics. Birkhoff did acknowledge excellen

but he could not have forgotten that Kosambi had not heeded his advice to concentrate on mathematics and givehis multifarious interests. To add to all this, Professor Graustein, the guide for Differential Geometry, the subjof Kosambis interest was on one years leave and away from Harvard.

As a result Kosambi failed to get the fellowship. Later on in his letter to an American friend from HarvaKosambi explains why he was not given fellowship there. (q13) He wrote, Incidentally I had no fellowship eithbeing interested in too many things, not to speak of my uncouth appearance, rude manners and the rest.

For a couple of months he stayed in America looking for opportunity of higher education there. Finally he gavethe idea and set sail for India in the month of May. He stayed for a while in France and Italy. Two authorities Carton and Levy Chivita in Differential Geometry were doing research in Paris and Rome respectively. Kosamtried to contact them but was not successful in doing so. Finally he returned to India with the Arts Bache


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Degree.

His ten years stay in America for school and college education had positive effect on Kosambi. (pp 29) He learto value Individual Freedom and Dignity of labour.

The American society was an open society with more scope for upward social movement and much lenamoured of social hierarchy. There was much more individual freedom here than even in England, leave aloIndia. Fearless plain speaking regardless of status or repute, being self dependent, parity in behaviour with peoof all classes, regard for objectivity in research work are the valuable attitudes that he cultivated in America a

which are rare in India. He also picked up a few bad attitudes too. Being heedlessly frank and truthful wadistinguished characteristic of Dharmananda. Never did he hesitate to tell the truth to any one on his face, evGandhiji himself. But in his otherwise normal behaviour he was a very gentle and humble person. Damodars plspeaking, however, smacked of arrogance. He spoke bitterly with his equals and treated them with contempt. Tcould have been a mask or a reaction to the way he was treated. But it also reveals extreme self confidence aegoism that he might have developed in America. He retained his American manners and American accent till end. He proudly called himself, of course partly in jest, a wise guy from Cambridge.

Kosambis achievement was one aspect of his circumstances. The other aspect was the effect on his developmeThese were not exactly ill effects; they were beneficial in a way. They were, however responsible for some of prickly edges of Kosambis personality. To understand this, one has to consider Kosambis social statusAmerica. All the available meagre references to Kosambis life in America help us develop a hazy sketch of status there.

During his school days his friends were from the town. Even in his later life in Harvard University he frequenthe town more than the campus. Wittingly or unwittingly he identified himself with the common people and the elite of America. Financially he was not quite well off. On top of this being an Asian he was an outsidermention made by Norbert Weiner in his autobiography is relevant here. He casually writes about his acquaintawith Kosambi while Kosambi was studying in Cambridge, Damodars father fled from India and was teachingHarvard. Dharmananda, in fact had gone to Harvard (pp 30) at the invitation of the Harvard Oriental School. had no reason to seek political asylum there and he was very well acquainted with Norbert Wieners fathDespite all this and his friendship and sympathy for Kosambi, the derogatory remark Norbert made speaks a about what Americans thought about Indians who went there.

It was after the First World War when Kosambi went there. American prosperity was growing by the day. But tprosperity replaced the American liberalism of the earlier decade by the capitalist rat race. Hatred of the Jews racism were openly advocated. Christians behaved with the Jewish people and those with black or yellow skwith disdain. Other minorities Mexicans, Latin Americans and those Europeans that did not belong to the midclass suffered the same treatment too. They were considered second class citizens and given step-mothetreatment. To an extent Kosambi too must have experienced this disdainful attitude of the Americans.

He himself has expressed grief over this treatment. According to his friends, he said, (Q14) he had two couagainst himself, a brown skin and a "Jewish" nose.One of his friends has written that he was reluctant to allany one to take his photograph because of his long nose. For a boy born as a high caste Indian, being treated l

an outsider of poor origin Kosambi must have felt hurt.

In normal circumstances it would not have affected him much. With all the awards and prizes that he won, he proved his excellence in both the academic and the extra-curricular fields. How ever in the beginning of 1929 situation started worsening and it became necessary to take into account many aspects while making a choicethe best candidate for the fewer available places. Kosambi, it seems, lost to the American candidates because of above extraneous factors.

This was the emotional background that gave a leftist, socialist turn to Kosambis thought. A heart felt sympafor the neglected downtrodden classes, coupled with a passionate anger towards the selfish, exploiting policiesthe gentry had become his nature. Even in his writings one could see a strong under current of broad Humanoutlook along with his erudite logic and sublime imagination. These trends to some extent must have taken roots


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his experiences of the American milieu.

That he had to return to India just after his graduation without any chance for post graduate degree affected (pp his future career as a creative researcher in mathematics. It was the most important period of his student life whhe had to return to India. He was deprived of that rich experience of working on an intense research thesis thaessential for maturing into a good researcher. But Kosambi did not loose courage. He was a born fighter and hastrong will. He struggled hard all by himself to achieve what was considered impossible. Single mindedly, like mythical Eklavya, he struggled very hard to initiate world class research work in India despite all the shortcominand adversities that one has to face in the atmosphere here. To an extent he was successful too. How ever the f

remains that he was deprived of the research experience in the advanced centres of learning during the mimportant period of his life. And it did hurt.

In those days there were very few openings for good jobs. The employment fields were not as varied as they today. All that Kosambi could aspire for was to get a lecturers job in a university and in India the vacancies wlimited in the field of education too.

On his return from America he stayed for some time with his elder sister in Bangalore. Maniktais husband, Ram Prasad was a highly qualified engineer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in America. Kosamknew him since his Cambridge days. Ram Prasad advised him to apply for a job in the Calcutta University or Banaras Hindu University. He supposed Damodar would be working in a very conducive atmosphere in thUniversities where a number of Dharmanandas friends worked.

The post of Professor of Mathematics was vacant in the Banaras Hindu University at that time and Kosambi wappointed there with a monthly salary of Rs.300 and accommodation. The Vice Chancellor, Pandit Madan MohMalveeya had a great respect for Dharmananda and he showed affection towards Damodar as Dharmanandbright son, educated in America.

From whatever little information that is available of that period, it seems Damodar started well. He mixed with students and played hockey with them and participated in all out door games. His research work also began hHis first research paper, "Precessions of an Elliptic Orbit was published in 1930 in the Indian Journal of PhysThis paper on a topic from Nuclear Physics, in a way, initiated his research work. Along with teachmathematics he started teaching German language in his spare time. (pp 32) In those days most important resea

papers were published in German. To learn German was essential for the study of modern science.

Kosambi however was not happy at the Banaras University. It was not possible for a young man with forwalooking modernist thoughts to adjust himself with the conformist traditional atmosphere of the Banaras HinUniversity. Nor were his colleagues who being senior expected to be treated with some respect. One episode ofGerman classes tells of his rude stinging tongue. Those who attended his German classes were told, right at beginning that they have to be scrupulously in time. One of his students was a senior colleague of his. Onceentered Kosambis class five minutes late. He was unceremoniously told to leave the class. This behaviour wonot have been approved of even in Harvard. It was sacrilege in a society that holds hierarchy of seniority in highregard. And this treatment was meted out to a senior professor who in all probability might have attendKosambis class just to encourage the young man educated in America. It is not hard to imagine how offend

this behaviour would have been to his colleagues. The Vice Chancellor, Malveeya too did not much approvehim.

Neither was there any scope for the teaching of mathematics or research in it. Neither were any of his colleaginterested in mathematics nor any students whose sole purpose was to obtain a degree. Discipline was lacking. TUniversities of those days were no different than those of today. It was no use complaining about it since situation was the same everywhere. As a result Kosambi started searching for another job and an opportunturned up shortly of moving from Banaras to Aligarh Muslim University.

Andre Wile, a very intelligent young Jew from France, was appointed the head of the Mathematics Departmhere. Later he was acknowledged as an authority in mathematics and the father of modern mathematics. Happointment was one of the frequent attempts that the University made to lay the foundation for higher studies


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create encouraging atmosphere for research in the Indian Universities. Andre Wile was in search of colleaguehelp him develop Mathematics Department. He met with Kosambi and another young mathematician, ViRaghavan in a conference in Calcutta. Professor Hardy, the God-father of the famous Indian mathematicRamanujam was Vijay Raghavans Guru. Vijay Raghavan was known as a minor incarnation of Ramanujam.33) So when Wile invited both Kosambi and Vijay Raghavan to Aligarh, Kosambi who was about to leave Banamust have been over the moon.

Meantime Damodar was engaged to a beautiful young graduate girl, Nalini, the daughter of Shri BalwantMadgaonkar. Balwantrao came from a rich family and was the brother of Justice Madgaonkar. He w

Dharmanandas friend and co-worker. He had helped Dharmananda financially when he went to America in 19Earlier in 1908 the whole family of Dharmananda had stayed in Madgaonkars Bungalow in Borivali for a couof months after he resigned from the Calcutta University. Damodar was a toddler of one year then. The tfamilies were united again after 23 years. Damodar married Nalini and was now related to a rich and distinguishfamily.

He already had the offer of working with Andre Wile at Aligarh. Such opportunities of getting acquainted wmany famous and eminent people and institutions of those days came time and again in his life. But he lacked ability to utilize them fully developing the contacts that were necessary to improve his own prospects. He wasseems, destined like his father, to remain aloof and standoffish or more likely he preferred to be so. But more abthis later.

He resumed duty in the AMU in 1931. Working with eminent mathematicians like Wile and Vijay Raghavan wprofessionally the most opportune time for him. They all were still amateurs engrossed with the baffling probleof mathematics. But their temperaments were opposite of each other. Wile and Vijay Raghavan were cool, steand patient. Kosambi on the contrary was quite brawny, hefty and quick of action. He had an impresspersonality coupled with a fantastic memory, voracious reading and the eagerness to let everybody partake of vast knowledge. With a some what aggressive demeanour, he spoke very fast with American accent omittwords. It was not possible for any one including Wile and Vijay Raghavan to stop his cascading speech and forth their own views.

(pp 34)One of their pupils has described what usually happened in the Mathematics room. Wile and ViRaghavan used to ponder over the mathematical problems written on the blackboard hung on the wall in frontthem. As soon as Kosambi entered, the room would suddenly become alive. He would take one look at the boa brusquely reach it and picking up a chalk stick, hastily start writing. The writing would be accompaniedreferences to latest German and French Research papers. Wile and Vijay Raghavan would then read the writingthe board in the light of these references. Kosambis own Research Work too was progressing well. In two yetime he wrote eight research papers on Differential Geometry and Path Spaces. Three of them were publishedforeign Research Journals-one in an Italian journal and two in a German journal. He also participated in the wof Indian Mathematics Society. He regularly kept in touch with Researchers in Mathematics from Paris and Rom

He carried on his job of teaching with utmost attention and sincerity. Starting with the basic concepts, he used

expand the topic to include the latest research work done on it and give his students all the information pertainto the topic at hand in his inimitable fluent style. He always advised them to learn French and German languageorder to keep their knowledge up to date. Students relished the jokes he cracked frequently. They admired stunning personality and astounding intellect. But beyond this the students did not show any promise; as, country was so backward at that time that interest in Mathematics was limited only to obtaining a degree. Teducation system fostered by the British was totally examination oriented. Passing the final examination wconsidered the greatest accomplishment. What understanding has one acquired was immaterial. In this situatistudents failed to understand Kosambis teaching that was research oriented. They were enamoured of erudition. But that did not serve any purpose and both, they and Kosambi, remained unfulfilled and disappointedthe end.

Kosambi, it appears, was in addition to mathematical research, thinking about research in other fields too. S


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Madhavrao Pagdi was studying at that time at Allahabad. Kosambi invited him to Aligarh during his vacation. had planned to translate into Marathi Machiavellis classic- Prince- on political science. Setu Madhavrao sphis vacation in the month of May in Kosambis Bungalow at Aligarh. During this stay Kosambi discussed whim the possibility of working on the 1.25 lakhs Ovis (stanzas of a particular measure) written by Dasopa

(Dasopant was a Marathi Poet-Saint of the 16th century. He was a devotee of Datta-the three faced deincorporating Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.) Kosambi came to know that the manuscripts of this great poet wavailable at a small town Ambejogai under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Nothing came out of Pagadis vand the discussions with him. (pp35) However it does reveal that Kosambi was interested in various fields otthan mathematics right from this time. According to Setu Madhavrao Pagadi, Kosambi had three to four thousa

books on varied subjects even at that time.

During his stay at Aligarh Kosambi used to go to the Tarai jungles for hunting. But it was not just hunting. Whroving in the jungles he observed the prehistoric and historic remnants in that area and made extensive notes of observations. The time spent in the jungle also gave him an opportunity to initiate sharing of thoughts on histand materialist-Marxist economics with the group of selected students and professors who joined him on thexpeditions. Pagadi tells us that he did not like Pagadis criticism of Marxist economics and was displeased whim.

Kosambis habits too were equally peculiar for that period of time and were noticed. For a young professor whad just embarked on his career, his light-hearted and relaxed life style and behaviour was not liked by others.

attire was simple. He used to teach in the class wearing a plain shirt and pant with Peshawari slippers on his fMany times he was found in half pants in the town market. Despite being born a Hindu Brahmin he ate meet frewithout any compunction. One of his Muslim students had approvingly remarked, Kosambi was a lot m progressive than his coreligionists. Both orthodox Hindus and Muslims of Aligarh were exasperated at behaviour; the former because of his couldnt care less attitude towards their sensitivities and the latter becaof his Marxist heretic thoughts.

Aligarh Muslim University was in a sense the mirror image of Banaras Hindu University. The students, the poliof the governing bodies, etc., were not at all encouraging. It was the lure of the company of the two grmathematicians as his colleagues that had brought Kosambi to AMU. That too came to an end soon. Andre Wwas devoted to research; but before long he realized that the atmosphere of the AMU and its administration wleast conducive to his work. He was exasperated and left AMU in 1932. Soon after, Vijay Raghavan too resign

from AMU to join the Dhaka University. Kosambi now had no point in continuing his stay at AMU and he planned to leave it.

Kosambi wrote to Wrangler R. P. Paranjape, in Pune in December 1932. This letter indicates the state of his miat that time. (q 15) He started with the sentence, I am writing this letter to request for a favour. He further sayshad acquainted you with the atmosphere prevailing here when we met in the summer. The former head of Mathematics Department, Prof. Wile must have already told you why it was not possible for him to

dr. damodar dharmananda kosambi- life and work

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